Income and Exercise Habits

Money may not change everything, but it does appear to influence exercise habits, as revealed by research conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Georgia State University. Science Daily reports that when researchers there used accelerometer data to analyze physical activity and sedentary behavior in relation to income levels of more than 5,000 people, they found that compared to those making less than $20,000 per year, those with an annual income of $75,000 or more engaged in 4.6 more daily minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity as measured by activity monitors. High earners also did 9.3 fewer minutes of light intensity activity, spent 11.8 more minutes daily sedentary, were 1.6 times more likely to meet guidelines for a brief 2-day period (‘weekend warrior’), and were 1.9 times more likely to meet guidelines during a 7-day period. What does it mean? Higher earners are more likely to be weekend warriors, which yes, we knew that.